Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
First Floor Layout |
Object Name |
Drawing |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company Collection |
Description |
Black ink and pencil drawing on linen of first floor fixture layout. Includes abbreviations, lineal feet of selling space, and general remarks noted on the drawing. Revisions made in 1954, 1955, 1956, 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1970, which are noted on the drawing. |
Context |
The S.H. Kress & Company, founded by Samuel H. Kress, opened over 300 5-10-25 cent stores in thirty states from New Jersey to Florida and across to California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. The first Kress store opened in Memphis, Tennessee in 1896. Many of the early Kress stores started out in rented spaces. By 1909, the Company began to open its stores in new structures created by S.H. Kress & Company architects like Edward F. Sibbert and Seymour Burrell, or built for it by contractors and held under lease. The Kress stores particularly thrived during the Great Depression, as they sold inexpensive products in luxurious spaces. Kress stores ranged in architectural styles, from Neoclassical to Art Deco to Modern and International. Towards the end of the S.H. Kress & Company life, shopping centers and malls overtook free-standing commercial buildings as the preferred retail locations, and new Kress stores were placed in large multistore structure. In 1964, the S.H. Kress & Company was purchased by Genesco, Incorporated, and the company was liquidated in 1980 and 1981. Some of the buildings have been demolished, while others have been renovated and adapted. The documents, plans, photographs, and objects that were gifted to the National Building Museum by numerous donors provide a rich array of information relevant to business, social, architectural, land use, race relations, and commercial history in the United States. The design of the S.H. Kress & Co. storefront in Phoenix reflected both contemporary Art Deco style and the city's desert southwest location. The artful synthesis of these influences is sometimes identified as Pueblo Deco or Mayan Deco. The otherwise restrained façade was enlivened by two lizard-like forms that appeared at the roofline, as well as by flourishes of cactus-green and golden ochre terra cotta that accentuated the stepped back, pyramid-shaped top of each window surround, as seen here. This Kress store was designed by Edward F. Sibbert (1899-1982), whose designs were crucial in shaping and advancing the company's architectural image. Sibbert led the architectural division from 1932 until 1944 and was the Kress architect with the longest tenure and most distinguished career. The store closed in 1974 and the building was demolished in the 1980s after a historic preservation fight. You can see a surviving window surround from the store on the platform behind you. |
Currently On Display In |
Visible Vault: Open Collections Storage |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.2.10.20 |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Area / Region |
Phoenix, Arizona |
Building Information |
Building Style: Art Deco Façade Material: Terra cotta, bronze maquee Genesco Store Number: 769 Address: 22 West Washington Street Drawing Number: L-2 |
Creator |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Year |
1965 |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Medium |
Linen |
Scale |
1/8 in = 1 ft |
Dimension |
29" x 14" |
Lexicon category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Related Publications |
Wilkerson, Susan, and Hank Griffith. A Guide to the Building Records of S.H. Kress & Co. 5-10-25 Cent Stores at the National Building Museum. Edited by Joyce Eliiot. Washington, DC: National Building Museum Publication Office, 1993. |
Search Terms |
1954 1955 1956 1965 1966 1967 1970 architectural linen black ink pencil first floor layout fixture lineal feet selling space abbreviations general notes counters terra cotta terracotta metal steel bronze marble plaster façade polychrome beige marquee marquis frame sidewalk front cover floral panels abstract wainscoting ornamentation decorations street motif grills windows spandrels coping Mercantile Art Deco attached mid-block block area Phoenix Arizona Store 769 22 West Washington Street west Washington Street S.H. Kress & Co drawing |
Address |
Phoenix, Arizona |